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Grining, Watercolor Sketchbook You know those days where you don't really want to paint a "masterpiece," but you just need  to get some color on paper? That’s exactly where this sketch came from. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my sketchbook lately, mostly because it's the one place where I feel totally fine with making a mess. For this one, I wasn't worried about perfect lines or blending—I just wanted to capture that huge, slightly chaotic energy of a wide-open grin. Wh

I decided to take a different approach with this one. It’s not my usual direction, but every so often I feel the need to step outside my comfort zone and let curiosity lead. This piece became an experiment in seeing differently. For this work, I leaned into a stained glass or mosaic style. Instead of blending forms, I focused on breaking them apart — letting shapes and fragments carry the composition. I paid close attention to values and bold color contrasts, using them as th

I decided to dust off the brushes today and dive into a quick watercolor study focused on sailing boats. While wandering around online for inspiration, I stumbled across a place called Pin Mill  in Suffolk, England—a quiet riverside village with a long maritime history and a reputation as something of a boat graveyard. Weathered hulls resting along the shore, half-forgotten and softened by time, immediately caught my imagination. After reading a bit about the area, I felt pul

Simple Barn Sketchbook Art If you grow up in Ohio, you’re bound to notice an old barn that stops you in your tracks. There are countless ones scattered around the state, and I often find myself wanting to paint them. When one catches my eye, I’ll snap a photo and quietly file it away for later. Tonight, while digging through some old iPhone photos looking for a target, I rediscovered this one and decided to give it a run in my sketchbook. I’m not usually drawn to the color gr

I discovered Mae Martinez  through an app called Museum , where people from around the world share portrait references and artists take a crack at doing something with them. It’s an incredible resource for practicing portrait work without worrying about usage restrictions, and it exposes me to faces I might never encounter otherwise. Mae’s haircut caught my attention immediately—it frames her face in a way that pulls you straight to her eyes. That strong visual contrast made

Sketchbook Art, small format Decided to knock out a quick fountain-pen sketch tonight—a loose contour line drawing with a little splash of color for fun. The star of the evening was Harley, one of our dogs. He’s a Shiba Inu, he’s getting up there in years, and at this point he has absolutely earned  every nap he takes. He is a very sweet dog, super friendly. The kind of dog that lets small children pull his ears. I started with a fast contour line sketch to keep things relaxe

As an artist, I definitely don’t have the kind of unlimited budget that lets me hop on a plane whenever inspiration strikes. As much as I’d love  to spend my days wandering around Europe with a sketchbook (and one day I hope to be able to do just that in retirement), real life says, “Hmm… maybe not today bub.” So one day I had this little lightbulb moment: why not just use Google Maps Street View - yah know, the poor mans window to the world? I mean, why not just zoom around

Embracing the Challenge of Size I decided to attempt painting a large format piece. This one measures 15" x 22", which is quite large for both watercolor and myself. The reference photo was in black and white, adding complexity since all the color choices had to be imagined. There are aspects I love and others I'm not fond of, but that's all part of the process. The Process of Creation Creating a large piece requires a different mindset. The scale can be intimidating. However

What can I say - this guy had the best beard I have seen since Salvador Dali. I just had to take a crack at it.

I aimed to complete a quick sketch tonight. I enjoy using cross-hatching; there's something fascinating about repeatedly drawing lines and seeing them form a drawing. Altering the direction of the lines significantly affects the outcome. I discovered this photo online and decided to practice a bit. I didn't get the proportions correct—his right eye is much too large—but I'm not sure that matters. Sometimes, the process of drawing and simply sitting down to create is what trul

A playful nod to vintage childhood—this colorful tin toy comes to life with a sense of motion and whimsy. I loved capturing the shiny surfaces of a tin toy, spinning propeller hat, and quirky energy of this little duck on wheels. This was framed and eventually given to a family friend – and it is much loved.  Watercolor on 140lb Cold Press

I stumbled across this photo of a gentleman while using an app I jump on to find photos and practice random portraits. Something about his serious look — and that seriously awesome hat—made me say, “Yep, this is happening.” It also felt like the perfect excuse to give Mineral Paper a spin — this was my first ever attempt at using this material. Spoiler: it was a rollercoaster. On one hand, I loved the way the colors absolutely jumped off the page — it was like watercolor o

A quick little sketchbook painting! I couldn’t resist capturing this gent – he leaned his head into the frame like a pro selfie-taker who knows all the angles. Usually, I dive straight into bold, loud colors, but this time I challenged myself to keep things soft and gentle, working with a tiny, limited palette. A small experiment in restraint… with a wink of personality.